


Quarts of Blood

by nerdyydragon



Series: Kingsman Tumblr Ficlets [40]
Category: Kingsman (2014), Kingsman (2015), Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Harry as Arthur, M/M, Michelle and Daisy are only there briefly, but not really, harry's death changed him sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 17:12:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8586904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdyydragon/pseuds/nerdyydragon
Summary: Death is an interesting thing, the way it dictates the behaviour of the people it surrounds. Resurrection - by that same logic, would change you even more.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer*

Upon his return from Kentucky, Harry had developed (and rightly so) a more intimate knowledge of the mortality of himself and his fellow agents. If one payed close enough attention, they would notice the changes in his demeanour. Small things, sincere congratulations on a mission well-completed, words of encouragement to new Knights, going out of his way to thank the myriad of staff that helped Kingsman run like the well-liked machine it was. In short, simply an increase in things he had done regularly before his death and miraculous resurrection.

One Gary Unwin - newly knighted Excalibur after the retirement of Harry’s previous codename until a much later date, the irony not lost on anyone who knew either Eggsy or Harry well - seemed to be an exception rather than the rule that Harry was abiding by.

It started slow, as all such things did. Merlin noticed first, as whenever he dropped off reports for Arthur’s signature Eggsy was there, sprawled in a guest seat with his legs slung over the opposite chair, thoroughly engrossed in his own work (once or twice a fortnight had become thrice weekly and eventually a daily occurrence when possible). Next it was Harry always having some of Eggsy’s favourite pastries on hand for tea. Roxanne let slip that the man had even dropped by to visit Michelle and Daisy with Eggsy and herself (his excuse was to finally make amends with the lad’s mother, who had accepted him as a part of her son’s life with few questions, though she had given him a thorough tongue-lashing for the grief he caused her son after V-Day - the flower crown he sported with Daisy on his lap in Eggsy’s cellphone home screen said otherwise).

But by far the most noticeable was the worry that creased his face whenever Eggsy was sent out on a mission, even those with relatively low risk of personal injury.  _ “Be careful, won’t you?” _ He would say softly, both men standing far closer than would be strictly necessary otherwise. It was always met with some variation of  _ “Course I will, I have people to come back to, yeah?” _ just as soft, and to anyone eavesdropping it would seem less like two agents of a secret espionage agency and more along the lines of a couple saying their goodbyes at the airport before a business trip.

Harry’s worry seemed to be well-founded, however, when what should have been a routine software transfer in Tokyo landed Eggsy in the medical ward with a dislocated shoulder (easily rectified, if painful) and more than his fair share of second degree burns (increasingly painful, not as easy to fix).

Because Harry’s life was not particularly caring when it came to his personal emotions, by some sick twist of fate the medical staff had decided that if he was going to take up space in their department, he may as well make himself useful, and thus how he got stuck with a jar of burn cream and was struggling to maintain polite conversation while confronted with more of Eggsy’s bare skin than he had been since witnessing the man punch through plexiglas during his trials.

“You really need to be more careful in the field, darling.” Eggsy tried not to stiffen at the endearment, and gripped the edge of the bed tighter.

“Yeah, well, promising to be careful ain’t gonna change the nature of the job. You can’t protect me from this, Harry.” He sighed heavily and set the jar aside and wiped off his hands, resting his forehead gently against Eggsy’s spine.

“I know. No matter how much I wish that I could secret you away and keep you safe, I know that I could never take you away from this. You chose this life. It wouldn’t be fair to you.” His hands rested gently on Eggsy’s hips, careful not to dip too low. “But you need to understand that there are people who will be extremely hurt if you don’t keep yourself safe in the field. Your mother, and young miss Daisy, and Roxanne, and -” he cut himself off, swallowing thickly. “ _ And me _ .” His voice was barely audible, even in the quiet of the empty ward.

“Harry, what are you saying?” Eggsy’s eyes were closed, trying to process what was happening, as he shifted carefully so he was facing the other man. “Is this why you always ask me to be careful before I leave on a mission? Because you’re afraid it would be the last time?”

“I’ll admit that after Kentucky I’ve been prone to allowing myself to become attached. Tethering emotions seem less… bothersome, I suppose, in the fleeting thing we call life.” Eggsy took Harry’s face in his hands gently and peered up at him.

“Tethering emotions? What does that even mean?” Eggsy’s brow scrunched in confusion, trying to make heads or tails of what was coming out of the man’s mouth. Harry looked at him as though he was trying to memorize his face, a resigned look in his eyes. He closed them and turned his head away.

“ _ Love _ .” He said quietly. “I understand that it isn’t what you wanted, but you’ll have to forgive an old fool his romanticisms. I was content with giving you whatever you wished, so long as you would continue to allow me to keep you company. I never wanted to burden you with this knowledge, you see. I apologize. I sincerely hope you won’t let it change things between us.”

“Burden me - Harry, no. You’re not  _ burdening _ me by telling me this.” A warm smile spread across his face. “Of course it’s going to change things. All this time we could have been doing it differently, we could have been happy, Harry, we could have been  _ happy _ .”

A stunned look shaped Harry’s features, as though he couldn’t quite believe what the other man was telling him. Eggsy leaned forward, crowding into his space, and his body’s natural reaction caused him to lean back far enough that they were both sent tumbling onto the mattress beneath them. Chuckling from his position tucked under Harry’s jaw, Eggsy pressed a kiss to the soft skin near his collarbone before lifting himself up on his elbow so he could look down at Harry’s face.

“I’ve already lost you once, I’m not going to let it happen again.” Eggsy murmured, kissing him softly. “You’re not going to have to go through what I did.”

“Promise?” The moment wasn’t right to make a crack about how Harry was reminding him of his little sister - it was too serious, and Harry’s fears were very real. He took one of Harry’s hands and held it over his heart as he kissed him again, deeper this time.

“As long as this keeps beating.”


End file.
